Improvement in revolving fire-arms



B./ F. JOSLYN.

y Revolver.

No. 42,3"7'9,l Patented Apr.. 19', 1864.

N, PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINBUN. D. C.

, 1 and 2 proved revolving tire-arm Fig. 3, a transverse fastening.

UNTTTD iSTATi-s PATENT Cerros.,

B. JOSLYN, OFYSTONINGTON, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN, REVOLVING lFlREv-ARIVIS.

`Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,379, daed April19, 1864.

To all whom it may concern L" Be it known that I, B. F. JosLYN, ofStonington, Connecticut, have invented certain Iniproveinents inRevolving Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare thc following` to be at'ull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

My invention relates to improvements in revolvers having cylinders madeof two parts, one fitting into the other, my improvements, which arefully described hereinafter, lhaving been made with the view ofpreventing the accumulation of dirt between the two parts ofthecylinder, also with the view of readilyl loading the cylinder andremoving therefrom the spent cart-ridges.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, I will now proceed to describe its construction andoperation.

On reference to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of thisspecification,Figures are longitudinal sections'ot' my iinsection on theline l 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrowl; Fig. 4, asection of part of the cylinder; Fig. 5, also a section, on the line l2, of the rear portion of the cylinder, looking in the directionofthearrow 2.

Similarletters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A is the stock, and B the barrel, of the tire- `arm, D being thebreech-pin, which is permanently secured to the stock by any suitableThe main peculiarity of my improved tirearm is the inode of constructingthe cylinder, which consists of two distinct parts-na-mely, the exteriorportion, E, and the inner or rear portion, E', the two, when fittedtogether, constituting a cylinder having in the present instance sixchambers.

The rear portion, E', of the cylinder consists of the circular plate a,at the rear of which is a tubular projection, d, surrounding and fittingsnugly to butso as toturn freelyon,the breechpin D, the projectionbeingalso arranged to l turn freely in the stock, to which it is so confinedby a key, c, that the plate a always bears against the end b of thestock. In front of thisplate a is another projection, which surroundsand fits snugly to the breech-pin, and which penetrates abouthalf-way'through the portion E ofthe cylinder. This projection, thet'orm of which will be best observed on reference to Fig. 5, consists ofsix ribs, it', with concave recesses m m betweenthe ribs. In front oftheplate a, are also six radial projections, a a, the object of which willbe rendered apparent hereinafter. It will be seen that the portieri Eisrecessed for the reception of the above-described projection on theplate a of the portion E of the cylinder, the recessed portion, when thetwo parts ofthecylinder are detached from each other,con Vsistingofahollow cylinder, Fig. 4, with sixribs, q, and between theseribsconcave recesses p.

Vhen the two portions of the cylinder are fitted together, as seen inFig. 3, the ribsi of the portion E coincide with rthe internal ribs, fg,of the portion E, and each concave recess m ot the portion E forms, withone ot' the concaveV recesses p of the portion E, a circular chamber forthe reception ofan ordinary lnetallic cartridge.

' It will be seen on reference to Figs. 1, 2 that` the above-describedprojection in front ot' the plate a penetrates the portion E of thecylinder as far onlyas the point x, from which point to the front end ofthe cylinder the chambers` are cut through solid metal, as in thecylinders of ordinary revolvers. ,l

The front end ofthe cylinder has a tubular projection, t, embracing thebreech-pin D, and fitting snugly but so as to turn freely in a recessformed in the rear end ofthe barrel, beneath the bore ofthe same, a key,c, tending to maint ain this projection, with the portion E of thecylinder, in its proper longitudinal position and in'contact with thebarrel. The breech-pin D is carried forward so as to penetrate aconsiderable distance into a recess in a projection formed beneath thebarrel, and teeth w are formed on the under side ofthe pin, these teethbeing adapted to teeth on the segment y, which forms the small arm ofthe lever G. The latter ,hasits tulcrumonapin,h,whichpassesthrough twotlanges,fand f', formed beneath the barrel, and between similar tianges,g, beneath the i stock. An eye, H, is formed at the end ofthe lever forfacility ot' handling the saine, the eye at the same tiineserving as anappropriate trigger-guard.

As the lock, trigger, hammer, and devices connected therewith forrotating the cylinder may be similar to those of other revolvingtirearms, and as any one skilled in this class ot' mechanism can readilyapply these parts to my improvement, it has not been deemed necessary toillustrate and describe them.

Operation: As seen in Fig. 1, the several parts of the tire-arm are in aproperv position preparatory to the discharge ofthe load. Wh en thelire-arm has to he loaded the lever G is depressed to the position shownin Fig. 2, in do ing which the teeth on the short arm ot' the lever acton those of the breech-pin, and consequently the barrel is projectedoutward from the stock, carrying with it the portion E of the cylinderand leaving the portion E of the same still in contact with the stock.The weapon is then held vertically, muzzle upward, and the metalliccartridges are arran ged on the exposed portion Eof the cylinder, theheads of the cartridges resting on the plate c and the bodies fittingthe concave recesses m. After the cartridges have been thus properlyarranged the lever Gis restored to its former position, in doing whichthe portion E of the cylinder slides over the projecting part of theportion E and over the metallic cartridges. When a proper junction otthe two portions ofthe cylinder is effected by the movement ofthelevereach cartridge is contained in a separate chamber, and the two parts ofthe cylinder Vare in effect the same asa cylinder of the ordinaryconstruction.

It will be seen that the head of each cartridge is isolated from that ofthe adjacent c lrtridges by the radial ribs u, Fig. 5, that the case ofthe'cartridge covers all the joints of the two portions of the cylinder,and consequently that no dirt can accumulate between and impair theefciency of thesejoints.

When the spent cartridges have to be withdrawn the lever G is againdepressed, and the portion E of the cylinder consequently moved willfall from the piece E', and new cartridges may beintroduced into thecylinder in the manner described above.

In loading the tire-arm there is no necessity for detaching the cylinderentirely, as in other breech-loading revolvers, one movement of thelever being all thatis necessary to arrange the cylinder for receivingthe cartridges, and another movement all thatisnecessary for adjustingthe cylinder and its charges preparatory to firing.

I wish it to be `understood that I do not desire to claim broadlyacylinder composed of two pieces, one fitting into the other, oneportion of each chamber being formed in one piece and the other portionof each chamber in the other piece, as.Y described above; but

- I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentl.Making that portion ofthe piece E whic penetrates the portion E shorterthan thc case ofthe cartridge, so as to prevent the accumulation of dirtbetween the two parts of the cylinder, as set forth.

2. The piece E', with the plate a and radial ribs n, and recesses forthe reception of the heads of the cartridges, the whole beingconstructed substantially as and for the purpose set forth.'

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

B. F. JOSLYN.

Witnesess; N. B. PALMER, 2d, 0. B. GRANT.

